More Belgian magic? It's time for super Soumy to prove the man again

There is an Australian and a Japanese runner in the July Cup field, but perhaps the visitor we should most treasure is a Belgian.

He combines the athleticism of his countryman Eddy Merckx, the cunning of Hercule Poirot and the genius of Rene Magritte – this is no plodding landscape artist but a flamboyantly brilliant surrealist.

Christophe Soumillon, 41, is five foot six of top-class jockey and more is the pity that we see so little of him in Britain, where he has had scarcely 200-odd rides in nearly 25 years as a jockey and Perfect Power is the only horse he has won on more than twice.